Africa-Press – Angola. The commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union (AU), Josefa Sacko, announced this Friday in Luanda that 278 million Africans are undernourished.
The statements were made on the second day of the First Women’s Forum for Peace and Democracy, where he spoke on “Challenges of Food Security and Climate Change on the Continent”.
According to the speaker, these data published in the regional Africa report, made public in April 2023, indicate that the number covers about 20.2 percent of the African population.
To mitigate this problem, Josefa Sacko understands that the issue of food and environmental security should be on every discussion table, not ignoring the situation of agriculture, which has great potential on the continent.
“This continent has 60% of uncultivated arable land, important water resources, as well as a potential in human capital, taking into account that its population is mostly young. It is necessary to invest positively”, he underlined.
The official said that the continent has an entire ecosystem to feed itself, as well as feed the world, but never be in a state of food insecurity.
This fact, he points out, has to do with the lack of compliance with the AU programs for food security by the governments of the member states, as well as the non-financing of the partners for their materialization.
In another part of her speech, the official highlighted the “great investment” of the Angolan government in Cunene province, with the construction of the CAFU canal, which contributes to mitigating the problem of drought.
In this context, Josefa Sacko advanced that the climatic situation associated with food insecurity tends to worsen, due to more frequent and intense heat waves, more droughts, floods, storms and forest fires.
In this context that lies ahead, Josefa Sacko appealed to African states to implement programs with a view to mitigating the consequences.
Josefa Sacko, Angolan agronomy and economist, was advisor to the Ministry of the Environment, secretary general of the Inter African Coffee organization, an organization made up of 25 African countries.
In 2017, she was also elected Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture.
More than 800 million people suffer from hunger in the world
Speaking on the same topic, the deputy director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Maria Semedo, informed that 828 million people suffer from hunger worldwide
The official added that the situation is due to climatic conditions, armed conflicts, economic underdevelopment and the lack of processing of products.
In his view, Africa has the potential to feed the world, requiring greater investment in agricultural investment, supported by science.
As for gender, Maria Semedo underlined that on the continent, 66% of women work in agriculture, but it is important to empower women in terms of education, access to land, as well as in production instruments.
Maria Semedo also underlined that “there is no peace without food security, nor food security without peace”.
In his view, Angola has demonstrated experience in this sector, with the implementation of field schools, essential for social reintegration, as well as the demining of land, giving way to cultivated fields, which will serve as a basis for feeding rural populations.
Maria Semedo was Cape Verde’s Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Rural Development, and also served as Minister of Maritime Affairs and Minister of Tourism.
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